Is your personal brand ready for your job search?

27th February 2019

The concept of ‘branding’ has long been applied to companies, products and organisations, but it is a much more modern concept to apply it to yourself as an individual. However, personal branding is becoming an important part of your job search and how you present yourself to potential employers. With that said, is your personal brand ready to get you a job? Here we take a lot at personal branding and what you need to be doing to attract more attention in the jobs market.

What is a ‘personal brand’?

If you’re not aware of the term, personal branding refers to all of the ways that you present yourself online. It includes everything from your LinkedIn page and Facebook profile to blogs and personal websites. Of course, not everyone has a YouTube channel or an Instagram account, but if you do you need to think about how they present you, because it’s almost guaranteed that if you apply for a job, someone is going to look you up.
You manage your personal brand through any page about you on the internet. So, what are some of the best things you can do to improve your personal brand?

1 – Create a professional website

If you don’t already have a personal website, now could be the perfect time to think creating one. Of course, it’s not appropriate for every industry or role, but if you do something creative or technically focused, this can be a brilliant way to show off your portfolio of skills and experience.
Unlike much of your personal brand online, a website is something that you can have complete control over. This allows you to show off your creativity and personal style outside of traditional social media formats. Creating a website for yourself is easy, whether it’s something as simple as a blog to a showcase of your skills.

2 – Manage your social media with an employers’ eye

You need to carry out a real audit of your social media profiles and think about how an employer would see them. It is obvious to say that it’s not a good idea to have your profile full of drunken pictures, but your audit needs to be subtler. For example, think about your Twitter profile – do you take an interest in the industry you want to work in? Do you follow influencers and engage with posts? Post with a purpose and focus your social media in a way that will impress employers.

3 – Associate yourself with strong brands

It is important to note that you can strengthen or weaken your personal brand by your association with others. For example, it is important to leverage brands that contribute to yours, such as the business you work for or the university that you attended. There could be an opportunity for you to contribute a guest post to your company blog.

4 – Create a narrative

One of the most effective ways to build your personal brand is to create a narrative. Potential employers visiting your profile are looking to get an understanding of how you think and where your passions are. Build a story that shows off who you are as person and remains consistent throughout.